Once aboard a dream

The launch is so soft and gentle, like a caress—you hardly notice we’ve set off. Then, with a whisper, Batt shifts into gear, the bow rises and the Grand Hotel Tremezzo disappears into the distance, a crystal-clear, energizing froth trailing behind. 
So begins the story of a day like no other aboard one of our splendid boats. It is a story as old as this place, discovering the artistic and architectural delights of Lake Como, its flavors, the enchanting beauty of its landscape in every season. It is a story best told by our boatmen. Some have called this place home since birth, all have evolved into native amphibious creatures, intimately aware of every secret the wind reveals, every port of call and every color the water and light may cast, from the golden glimmer of dawn to the velvety hues of dusk and the night’s dark, silent embrace. 

When asked what route they like best, they will give you a diplomatic (and factual) response, reminding you that some of the lake’s most elegant gardens and villas can be found at Grand Hotel Tremezzo, Villa Sola Cabiati and Passalacqua, in Moltrasio, all gorgeous estates in the De Santis family’s collection. That is to say, there is no better place to begin or end your voyage of discovery. Villa Carlotta, Villa Balbianello, Villa Oleandra-Clooney—and beyond, Villa Olmo, Cernobbio, Villa Erba… In no time, you could be strolling along the lake shore in Como town. 
Later, our other neighbors on the opposite tempt us: Bellagio’s fairytale charms, the picture-perfect village of Varenna, the enigmatic Isola Comacina, the waterfall in the Orrido di Nesso gorge, praised by da Vinci in his Codice Atlantico. Each guest has the pleasure of choosing their very own “journey through time”, cruising from one hour to the whole day, calling at the best restaurants—Passalacqua among them—raising a glass of champagne on board, soaking up the sun, diving into the clear water and discovering each location’s hidden, photogenic side on  the waterfront. 

Our boatmen are a crew of lifelong friends, whether it’s our veteran skippers Carlo, Vito and Beppe or the younger members of the team Alessandro, Guido, Paolo, Michele, Maurizio—not forgetting Alessandra and Cristina, who remind us that women have a strong voice on Lake Como as well. Personalities as diverse as our fleet. 
Ruy is a privilege reserved for the veterans, if only because this masterpiece of Italian design was built by the renowned Venetian shipbuilders at Cucchini in 1961 and later restored by the experts at Riva. Her personality? As aristocratic as her original owner, Tiberio Ruy Brandolini d’Adda. Alongside her, as radiant as a cloudless day, is Batt, named for Giovanni Battista Mallone, a seafaring yachtsman and forefather of Grand Hotel Tremezzo’s owners. With Mallone’s adventurous life in mind, architect Ruggero Venelli designed the most elegant hull—clad entirely in wood like a Victorian drawing room—and entrusted her construction to none other than Vizianello, a Venetian institution known for shipbuilding excellence since the 1950s. And then there are the other classics from Italian nautical tradition, designed to impress—the Riva Aquariva Passalacqua, a boat of timeless elegance, and the Riva Olympic, a classic swinging-sixties craft, reminiscent of La Dolce Vita and the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. Two more prized pleasure boats—Pupa and Pupa II, made by Chris-Craft, America’s premier boatbuilder since 1874—round out the fleet. What’s in the name? A tender tribute to a beloved matriarch of the De Santis family. 
And that might be how your day ends, returning to the Grand Hotel Tremezzo’s hallowed halls late in the afternoon —if only the stars mirrored on the lake’s surface did not beckon so. It’s impossible to resist these sirens of the sky. Impossible not to seize this opportunity to let the waves lull you and your beloved, as you lie side by side, hand in hand. Off you go again, yet another wake trailing behind you. Tiny lights flicker on the shore, the moon has risen, and the water’s music plays on. Never has a night been more romantic.